From the inception of the cannon to drones carrying bombs, modern warfare continues to evolve, and keeping up with the latest threats from adversaries like China isn’t easy. During a simulation reportedly carried out in a secret Chinese lab, China’s military launched hypersonic missiles more than 100 miles into the sky, masked by radar signals, before crashing down onto U.S. warships.
According to the South China Morning Post, details of the simulation surfaced in a December paper written by a scientist working at the lab with ties to the Chinese military. In the paper, scientists make clear that space is the next frontier in weapons and war, and according to the newspaper’s report, China may be a step closer to gaining an edge.
Details from the simulation suggest China launched hypersonic missiles from 750 miles away and up to 120 miles into the sky using low-orbit electronic warfare satellites to pinpoint and confuse U.S. warships. The simulation specifically targeted an American aircraft carrier strike group with a combat range of more than 600 miles.
The satellites reportedly found U.S. warships through their radar signals; as the missiles were in the sky, those satellites emitted their own radar signals to create confusion, masking the missile’s approach. The missiles hit and destroyed their target while being undetectable until it was too late.
According to the South China Morning Post report, Chinese scientists estimated U.S. radar capabilities by looking at a radar system designed by Lockheed Martin in the 1970s and used in U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to detect long-range anti-ship missiles.
According to the report, it would only take two or three low-orbit satellites to attack an aircraft carrier group. While it is still unclear what hypersonic missile was used in the simulation, the Chinese newspaper reported that its range was similar to China’s YJ-21 missile.
